2015 Stolpman Vineyards Estate Syrah Ballard Canyon

Sashi’s Warning Yields Hermitage-Like Concentration

Robert Parker gushes that “Stolpman Vineyards continues to produce impressive wines under the guidance of the highly regarded Santa Ynez winemaker, Sashi Moorman.” When Moorman tipped Pete Stolpman off that 2015 would be one of the lowest-yielding vintages in years, Stolpman didn’t blink — he grinned. In the hands of the legendary Moorman (Ojai, Domaine de la Cote, Evening Lands),Pete’s dry-farmed Syrah vines would eke out a powerful wine, Hermitage-like in structure, balanced by New World opulence. One of California’s most iconic Syrahs, the 2015 is the best since the 93-point Parker 2005 vintage. Fantastically rich, juicy, and complex, don’t wait another 10 years for a $25 Syrah as good as this. Wine Access clients have a special opportunity to secure their bottles today, before America’s best restaurants snap it up.

In California’s fourth consecutive drought year, thanks to early advice from Moorman, Stolpman and his team knew just what they were getting into. “We were armed with the knowledge that we were going to have a super-concentrated vintage,” Pete told us. “We knew the texture was going to be there at a lower sugar level. So we could just concentrate on picking when grapes were still firm and taut, making for the incredibly vibrant, lively profile you get with the 2015s.”

The 2015 vintage in Santa Barbara’s Ballard Canyon started off with heavy spring winds, which whistled through Stolpman’s tightly planted vines. Once fruit began to set in May, Sashi Moorman realized that the winds had blown off more flowers than usual, trimming yields from the get-go.With the drought further depleting yields, the tiny clusters of Syrah that remained delivered incredible concentration.

Marked by sheer opulence and scintillating vibrancy, the 2015 Estate Syrah Ballard Canyon delivers a greater value than many bottlings twice the price, and it’s not yet rated by the critics, which means Wine Access clients get a head start before demand soars.

• Fruit Intensity
• Oak Intensity
• Body
• Acidity
• Tannin

• ABV 13.80%
• 30 mins
• Drink Up
• % Syrah
• Serving temperature – 60°
• Cork